The start of May, a Gooden's Nomad Bee (3rd) was spotted resting on the fence. This was a new species for the garden.
Two Swifts were seen flying over the house on 16th, was a welcome sight. As the month progressed a juvenile Robin was in the garden on 23rd and a Harlequin Ladybird was also seen on the same day. Harlequin Ladybirds were once a rarity, but now are firmly resident in the garden as with many places in the UK as they have now spread northwards.
The maximum counts of each bird species visiting the feeders were as follows:
5 House Sparrow
1 Great Tit
2 Dunnock
4 Woodpigeon
4 Goldfinch
2 Collared Dove
2 Jackdaw
1 Magpie
3 Starling
2 Blackbird
2 Robin
2 Blue Tit
1 Coal Tit
1 Carron Crow
3 Greenfinch
Despite the overnight low temperatures, affecting my moth trap visitors. A highlight was a brief visit of a Mint Moth (Pyrausta aureate) on 29th. This was a first record of this species in our garden.
